(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods which produce either a focused illumination of a specific area for reading or working, or a general illumination of an indeterminate area for general vision. More particularly, this device is especially suited for use as both a reading lamp or a general illumination lamp. However, the present invention also enables the lamp housing and the lamp shade of the device to be used with mounting means other than those directed to a flat surface, and for other purposes which incorporate either of the illumination features, such as a display light or a night light.
(2) Prior Art
Conventional lamps are generally of two types. First, there are those for use as a reading light in which a directed beam (or "directed illumination"), is focused on a specific area to facilitate viewing of reading material or the like. Second, there are lamps, such as ceiling or floor lamps, which provide a general illumination (or "shaded illumination") of a large area for the purpose of enabling one to see what is in the area.
Because both types of lamps are ordinarily needed in the home or office to perform both functions, users of the lamps must purchase at least one of each. After placing both lamps in their respective areas in the home or office, it is common for the user to have both lamps on at the same time so that the user may work at his desk or table while still being able to see around the room. Furthermore, in order to use both lamps simultaneously or otherwise, the user must turn each lamp on or off individually. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a single lamp device which can produce both a directed illumination and a shaded illumination to serve the particular need of the user. It is another object of the invention to provide a lamp device which can supply both types of illumination either simultaneously or alternatively from a single switch.
Within the art of general illumination lamps, the lamp usually comprises a lamp shade placed over a high-wattage bulb attached to the stem or the base of a lamp. For the most common lamps, the lamp shade takes the form of a translucent cylinder attached to the stem of the lamp such that the bulb is centrally located within the cavity of the cylinder. The problem with such a design is that a large proportion of the light produced by the bulb is radiated out of the top and bottom ends of the lamp shade, and not through the translucent portion of the lamp shade to more distant areas of the room. Hence, this design produces very little shaded illumination, but rather reflects direct light from the floor and ceiling, causing the user to hurt his eyes if he looks directly at the lamp shade. In addition, to obtain shaded illumination projected throughout an entire room, the user must consequently use a bulb of more intensity, thus using more electricity than necessary. Therefore, it is another object of the invention to provide a lamp device which projects a larger proportion of light directly through the sides of the lamp shade so as to light up a room with genuine shaded illumination in the form of a soft glow. A further object of the invention is to provide a lamp device which uses lower wattage bulbs to produce the shaded illumination and which will not cause temporary blindness by one looking directly at the lamp shade.
In addition to the above problems, general illumination lamps are further disliked because they normally only produce one type of shaded illumination, that is off-white. It is very difficult to find lamp shades having different shades or colors so that the user can lighten up a room in a different way with a not-so-dull shade or color. Even if this is possible, the user will still have trouble finding lamp shades which have the same style as the lamp itself or which properly fit the lamp or the connection thereto. Hence, it is a further object of the invention to provide a lamp device of the kind described above that may be configured with lamp shades of varying colors and translucence to enable the lamp device to produce any one of a variety of colorful shaded illuminations. In this respect, it is another object of the invention to provide these lamp shades with the ability to emit a neon-like glow to further enhance the color of the shaded illumination and to produce a shaded illumination which is softer on the eyes.
Both of the conventional general illumination lamps and reading lamps are further functionally inhibited by the structure of their bases which are usually designed for placement on flat surfaces. For instance, a normal desk lamp cannot be easily used for reading while in bed, and a general illumination lamp cannot be easily hung on a wall. However, it is an object of the invention to provide a lamp device having a multiplicity of mounting means wherein the lamp housing and the lamp shade may be used in a variety of different settings.